Mahir Behlulovic, 7, is the only student in a school classroom in Petrovici, a village hidden in the mountains of central Bosnia. Petrovici was once home to more than 300 people. Today only a few dozen live here.
It is sparsely inhabited, a problem that has increased since the impoverished Balkan country emerged from its 1992-95 inter-ethnic war. The school had been closed for several years, but reopened in 2022, when Mahir Behlulovic reached school age and a teacher was hired for him.
Every workday, Mahir’s mother, Azema Behlulovic, helps her son pack his backpack and get ready for school. She then accompanies him to attend her classes. It’s not the education most children receive, but Behlulovic is grateful that her son has a school to go to.
Mahir, who is now in second grade, enjoys his days at school and the time he spends with Kopic learning new things, sharing simple meals during school holidays.
He will surely enjoy his teacher’s full attention for at least another three years, but once he completes fifth grade the educational authorities will likely help him start traveling to school in Olovo, the nearest town.
